


Small miracles

by DearDiary



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Car Accidents, Christmas, Christmas 2020, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kindness, May/December Relationship, Older Man/Younger Woman, Tumblr: doctorroseprompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27982839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DearDiary/pseuds/DearDiary
Summary: When Jonathan crashes into a young woman with a child on Christmas Eve, he finds himself unable to let them go. Is Christmas lost for Rose and Tony Tyler, or is there somebody to mend their tired souls?Based on prompt from doctorroseprompts on Tumblr.
Relationships: Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Rose Tyler
Comments: 16
Kudos: 52





	1. Accident

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SunnieBelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnieBelle/gifts).



> I couldn't get past this prompt, and I'm honestly so in love with Nine and Rose, and it's almost Christmas, and I needed some love and warmth in these tiring days, so here I am with a new story. 
> 
> Thanks SunnieBelle for a marvellous prompt, but I wouldn't want to put the whole prompt here now so as not to spoil some surprises that may or may not appear during the story. If you are very curious for the prompt, come find it on doctorroseprompts on Tumblr (posted on December 7th).
> 
> Forgive my mistakes, I'm only an English teacher who's native tongue is not English at all.  
> Hope this will put you in a holiday mood!

He felt the force of the hit as he pulled the car to a halt. 

Never has he ever hit anyone is his 20 years of driving experience. Well, there’s a first time for everything. 

Jonathan thought that his mind was rather empty and idle for someone who just crashed a car into a young woman on the crossing. 

Damn. 

Finally, Jonathan felt himself react. “Cold-minded and calm”, he preached to himself. “It’s not your or that woman’s fault”, he chanted. He sure as hell was going to find the bastard who cut him off and therefore provoked an accident that resulted in a moaning blonde on the ground, a crying seven-to-nine years old boy who was clutching said woman’s hand and Jonathan’s sure late arrival to his grandad’s Christmas Eve dinner. And possibly (whom was he kidding) an epic row with the blonde’s husband (Jonathan knew that if he had ever married, he’d totally fight the person who harmed his wife). 

So much for a quiet Christmas. 

“Are you alright, miss? Can you hear me?” Jonathan couldn’t see the blonde’s face as she covered her face with her palms as she cried pitifully from the pain. Several pedestrians were present, and one told John that, mercifully, the ambulance was on its way. 

“What hurts, miss? Can you hear me? What’s your name?” 

The boy, who seemed to be in shock previously, suddenly wailed “Oh, Rosie, are you dead?” 

John felt the smile tugging at his lips. That child’s logic was definitely not working correctly, if he thought that his mother...wait, he couldn’t call his mother by her name, could he? A brother, maybe? A child whom she was baby-sitting? 

The blonde took her hands away from her face. 

Jonathan was astonished. For she was young. And very, very beautiful. 

Round face, amber-coloured eyes, a cute nose and fuller than average lips. She must be the owner of a dazzling smile, with lush lips like that. Still, very young. Not older than 21, and probably even younger under all the mascara and foundation that was running down her face in rivulets under the strain of her tears. 

“I’m fine, love” she whispered quietly and squeezed the boy’s hand. “Don’t you worry, Tony, I’ll be fine”. 

John would have believed her if it wasn’t for the deep frown that was marring her ashen face and the edge in her voice. 

Jonathan jumped into the conversation. He needed to distract Rose from the pain and divert Tony’s attention from his...from Rose’s injury. 

“Rose, was it? What hurts? Can I do anything? I’m so sorry for that, Rose, honestly, I should have been more careful with all that ice in the roads, and I should have noticed the car that was driving against all the traffic rules.” Even deeper frown slipped into her delicate features, and it seemed that her eyes were rolling, and John had no idea if it was good or bad for her to fall unconscious. Bad, because Rose might go into shock, and because little Tony looked like he might lose his mind, and good because Rose wouldn’t need to feel the pain. Where did he hit... 

Oh. He raked his eyes over the woman’s...the girl’s prone form and noticed that her left leg was bent in an unnatural angle, and although it was obvious the break wasn’t the open one, for there was no blood, John felt faintly sick at the idea of how much pain the blonde must be in. 

John knew he was reeling, but he couldn’t stop the trail of words that followed after. 

“Your leg! It doesn’t look half bad, honest. Just a little break, that must be it.” 

He risked to look at Tony’s pale face, and he knew that he was doing poor job of distracting his unlucky mates. 

“But hey! Where were you going? For presents? For decorations? For a nice family Christmas dinner?” He stopped abruptly as young Tony informed him that their mother died a year ago, and so their daddy, and his sister Rose was taking him to work with her because school was closed for the holidays and she didn’t want him to be alone. 

Now, Jonathan felt like a complete fool. The poor kids have lost their family recently, and he managed to make things worse by reminding them of the tragedy. 

“Tony? Is Tony here? Where’s my brother? Tony!” Rose was restless suddenly, and at that moment John knew she was falling into shock. She stretched her hands out blindly, hoping to find her brother, oblivious to the fact that he was by her side. Both he and Tony grasped the girl’s hands and held them while she sobbed pitifully, shocked and scared by everything that happened. “Is Tony alright?” 

Jonathan grinned ruefully. Trust it to older siblings to always be afraid for the safety 0f the younger ones. 

He could feel the immense relief as heard the weak sound of the coming ambulance. “You’ll be fine, Rose, Tony will be fine too. I’ll look after him, don’t you worry.” 

He could tell she was no longer worried as she slipped into unconsciousness without acknowledging his promise. 

The paramedics arrived. 

*** 

He was pacing the to and fro in the hospital hall when he realised that his tension affected Tony who was trying his best to be brave and not to cry while waiting for his sister to come out of the emergency room. Jonathan realised that his anxious actions worried the boy even more, and he stopped his movements. He then decided to distract the boy. 

Children, children. What do the children love? Sweets? Toys? Books with the pictures? Gadgets? His colleagues’ kids surely loved to spend a lot of time in their phones, still, they were excited about remote-controlled cars and dolls with weird hairstyles, and stuffed animals, and those kits for experiments at home... 

Jonathan didn’t have any kids, and he only had a vague idea on how to communicate with them, let alone how to placate a child who’s only relative was in the emergency room now. Still, he needed to try. 

He knelt in front of the boy and caught his distraught eyes. “Have you got a favourite toy?” 

“Right” thought Jonathan “Just dive straight into conversation, don’t allow any warm up. I’m just a stranger to the boy, for God’s sake, it’s not like he’s going to open up to a weird man who crashed into his sister.” 

He cringed internally at his awkward attempts to start a conversation. Still, he needed Tony to stop worrying. 

“It’s just that I need to buy a present to a child of my friend. He’s eight and he loves football. What do you reckon I should buy him?” 

Tony’s eyes wandered to his for a couple of moments, like the child was thinking his words over, but soon he was watching at the emergency room doors again. 

This wasn’t going to work. Distract, distract. Let the boy think about the positive outcome. It’s a broken leg, not a heart attack or a head trauma. Or was there a head trauma? Hopefully, nothing life-threatening, but quite bothersome for a lonely young woman with a child in her care. 

Suddenly he had a brilliant idea. 

“Tell me about your sister. What is Rose like? I bet you love her very much. And I bet she takes really great care of you, doesn’t she? 

This time Tony was all ears. Well, not all ears, actually, as he started talking animatedly about his favourite person on Earth (apart Mickey, who was “sooo coool” because he allowed Tony to play on his computer and brought him into car garage and showed how to fix cars), nevertheless, Rosie was his one and only relative in the whole wide world. 

Jonathan rendered it unlikely and thought that is was something Rose told the boy so as not to scar his young heart. 

“Rosie works in a shop and in a café, and she lets others bring babies to our flat when their parents need to go somewhere. She says I need to study well at school to find a good job and not to be like her. But I want to be like her!” The red-haired boy raised his chin proudly. “My sister is the best. Only she cries at night sometimes when she thinks I’m asleep. And Rosie never-ever buys anything pretty for herself, and I know she really wants to...” Tony mused sulkily. 

Ah. A girl who’s taken over her baby brother, juggling two jobs and occasional baby-sitting, who has left school and couldn’t find a well-paid job because she didn’t have a suitable education. Poor thing. No wonder she’s crying at night when she thinks Tony can’t hear her. 

But Tony said something about Mickey. Was he her boyfriend? Not husband, because there was no ring on Rose’s left finger. Or was he just a friendly chap who wanted to help his friend? Jonathan was sceptic enough to know that not every man wanted to pursue, let alone marry a woman with a child, still, there were plenty of good-hearted blokes around. One of his colleagues married a widow with two kids, and the four of them were immensely happy, planning on expanding their family. 

So, who was the mysterious Mickey? A boyfriend? A boy friend? A friendly neighbour? 

Wait. 

Why did he care at all? 

Well, he cared because he was at fault in this entire situation. Because of him Tony was nearly crying in the hospital hallway, and because of his driving skills brave-hearted Rose ended up with a broken leg (and God knows what else. What if she was injured somewhere else? What if she, indeed, had a head trauma, and the emergency team hadn’t told him because he wasn’t family? The nurses tried calling Mickey, but he never answered. Tony explained that Mickey was out of the country for holidays and wasn’t to come back for two weeks. 

Bugger. 

Jonathan felt that this was something he needed to make right. This Christmas, the Tyler’s Christmas, needed to be salvaged. 

Strangely enough, Jonathan knew it wasn’t a sense of guilt or obligation that made him think like that. He sympathised deeply to this lonely girl who was crushing under the strain of two worlds on her fragile shoulders: her brother’s and her own. How difficult was that? Rejecting every one of your wishes and wants and needs at the age of 18 to provide for your seven-year-old brother (Tony confessed him being 8 now, and Rose was 19), to barely let the ends meet, to preserve the young child’s hope and ability to believe for better things to come? 

And Tony definitely believed in all the good things. In Father Christmas, and Angels, and Tooth Fairy, and many other fantastic things. 

Jonathan didn’t know Rose all too well, but he’d be damned if he didn’t try to get acquainted with the girl. He may be old (well, when he was 19, he thought that 38 was old) and he may not believe in magic and Christmas and fairy tales, but he may be of some use to someone this Christmas. He might just make things a little brighter in these dull days. 

Jonathan sat down on the uncomfortable plastic chair and stretched his hands above his head. Tony huddled closer and laid his red head on his knees, sighing tiredly. Jonathan was humbled by this act of trust and gently placed his arms on the boy’s shoulders. Honestly, only a child would act so open-minded and wouldn’t expect any danger from the stranger who hurt his sister. 

The minutes were stretching endlessly, and the buzz in the waiting zone never stopped; still, Tony was soon asleep, unbothered by the day’s events. Jonathan had nothing left but to marvel at the girl’s selflessness and all-consuming love for her brother. Even while she was all but writhing in pain on the icy road minutes after the accident, Rose was anxious about what happened to her brother. She awoke when they arrived at the hospital and demanded to know where her brother was and begged the nurses to check the boy over. The doctors checked the boy’s vitals and were satisfied with his condition, only asking Jonathan to get something warm for the child to drink, and not to let him slip into shock. “Well,” thought Jonathan, “Tony’s not in shock, and he drank a cup of tea, and now he’s asleep so he needn’t worry about his sister.” 

Jonathan tried to get comfortable on the stupid plastic chair and watched, hawk-like, at the door of the emergency room, waiting for Rose to appear. 

He will do all the worrying for now. 


	2. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the world of Jonathan's thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, dear all.  
> Here's the second chapter.  
> Thank you for reading and leaving kudos.  
> And please forgive any mistakes that you meet.  
> Enjoy <3

It took quite a lot of convincing and placating the nurses to tell him what Rose’s case was, and Jon only succeeded after he lied shamelessly about him being Rose’s boyfriend. According to his story, they were to marry in 5 months. Why wasn’t he in his fiancé's emergency contacts? You see, her and Tony’s parents died not so long ago, and she spent so much time crying in the hospital halls after her parents’ accident, and Rose was traumatised and terrified to no end of everything hospital-related, and she never went back and never updated her medical emergency contacts because it was too hard on her to see the hospital halls once again so soon.

Jon was disgusted by the lies and his own behaviour, but Tony woke from his nap and was so disparaged by his sister’s absence, and Mickey was out of range, and who else would take care of the Tylers, if not him?

It took a little more of pushing and bullying from him, and it was Christmas time, and “What would Jesus say to finding out the poor Tyler family all alone and abandoned and without proper care? Didn’t you choose your career to help people, Miss Nurse?”

15 minutes, 4 nurses and several pleading tirades later, Jon was waiting for a meeting with a doctor in a room where Rose was put while Tony was clutching his sister’s hand and was eying the IV pole mistrustfully.

Jonathan sighed and raked his hands through his hair. He desperately wanted a haircut, but Donna would kill him if he shaved off the hair that she insisted on growing out to cover up his “space ears”. Tough love he had with his sister, but Jonathan knew that Donna loved him dearly and was only winding his up because she was his older sister (oh, that was another source for his own jokes) and making the younger brother miserable was Donna’s direct responsibility.

Damn.

Damn.

DAMN!

He hadn’t called Donna!

Jonathan hastily put out his phone out of the leather jacket that was now dangling precariously on the back of a hospital chair and checked the phone screen.

7 missed calls from Donna, 21 messages from Donna, 2 missed calls from Grandad and a Christmas promotion message from some shop. 

If Jonathan wanted to spend this evening without his sister’s worry and yells of surprise and anger at the real initiator of the accident, he needed to think of something to put Donna’s arrival off quickly.

Donna had a great heart, bless her, and she would stretch herself thin to help Rose and Tony, but there was no way Rose needed the additional stress of his sister’s overbearing care after the day’s events. So, he needed a cover story.

Story, story. Better to stick as close to the truth as possible, and think of something not serious enough for her to fret, but enough for him to have a pass to miss Christmas Eve’s traditional meal.

An accident, then. But one not involving a person who suffered the consequences. A broken car, then. A car that stopped in the middle of the traffic and refused to move an inch further. “And you know, Donna, how hard it is to make anyone do anything job-related on Christmas Eve, so I am going to be stuck miserably in the car waiting for the help to come, and no, Donna, don’t make a fuss, I’m a grown man, and I’ll take care of the whole ordeal. A warm hello to grandpa and I’ll see you all tomorrow! Bye-e!”

He slammed the off button down before Donna could figure out his bluff and watched the doctor come into the room. Time to get an update on Rose’s health.

***

Three cracked ribs on her left side, a broken left leg and a concussion on top of that. Fan-freaking-tastic. He’d be lucky if Rose ever let him come close to Tony and her, let alone speak to them both.

The doctor warned him to watch Rose carefully after she was discharged, as the concussion, in combination with heavy medication to ward off pain in her leg and ribs, would mess with her thinking and balance and a lot of other things Jonathan knew was in pamphlets the nurse put in his hands. She was not to be left alone under any circumstances, and anything strenuous was off list. Work was off the list for at least about a month.

Jonathan wondered if he’d need to call in Rose’s job and tell them of her emergency. Would she still get paid? Or will she be sacked? He had no illusions about the modern world, and he knew that some employers got rid of anyone in the least bothersome, and he suspected Rose would be just the case.

He’ll call them in the morning then. The shop, at least, as its address was written down in her medical file. No info about the café, though. 

Damn.

Jonathan thanked the doctor and asked when he could take Rose home. The ginger-haired medic replied that he’d need to check her reflexes and vitals once she wakes up, and she might not be fully awake until morning. It said 23:43 on his wristwatch, and he was in for a long night. 

First things first: get Tony comfortable enough to sleep. Next: coffee. After that: reading through pamphlets. After-after that...he’ll cross that bridge when he’ll get to it. 

***

Christ, Jonathan never knew that a concussion could result in a number of symptoms so dreary. They generally were glossed over on TV in dramedy police series Donna loved so much, and it was totally not the case with Rose.

Temporary memory loss, mood swings, balance-holding problems (package deal with a broken leg), dizziness, trouble seeing clearly, headaches, nausea, difficulty concentrating...and the consequences of the pain meds to seal the deal.

Jonathan felt devastated. 

Sure, he wasn’t the one to be blamed for the accident.

Still, he was the one to hit Rose with his car.

She’ll have to suffer through so many inconveniences, and he’s partially to blame.

Jonathan never was the touchy-feely type, but he couldn’t lie to himself and tell that he was completely lost to the world of feelings. He knew he could be tolerable in the world of dating if he wanted to (though being a Darcy-like gentleman always made him bristle with irritation), he knew perfectly well that some women found his type of “handsomeness” very appealing, and he was no stranger to dating (although it didn’t happen all that often. It wouldn’t have happened at all if it wasn’t for Donna’s meddling), but he never wanted to go so far for any other woman before, let alone a woman whom he knew for a few hours at best (try a few minutes before she’d stopped being coherent), but Rose was fantastic!

He honestly felt so much respect for the girl. Or should he call her a young woman? That would be respectable to her and all the adult things she did for her brother, and it would kind of give him a free pass to fancy her and not to look like a cradle snatcher, but it would only be half-truth...she was a teenager, still, even if she was thrusted into the cruel world of  _ Grownuphood _ . But she was so brave, selfless and full of responsibility and love (based on what Jonathan witnessed himself and on what Tony delightfully shared with him), and he felt admiration build up in the heart of his hearts. 

Jesus, was he falling for a girl 19 years younger than him, and all but in a few hours after he met her?

He shuddered mentally at his trail of thoughts. A dirty old man, that’s who he was.

Maybe Jonathan was the one who needed a brain check-up. Or maybe it was those barmy romantic Christmas movies Donna made him watch during holidays. Maybe there was something hallucinogenic in the hospital’s coffee. 

Nevertheless, he needed to stick this strange feelings and suspicious warmth in his heart towards Rose and little Tony up where they came from and try to be actually of any help to the Tylers.

With Tony curled on a small sofa next to him, Rose being out completely under the drugs’ effects and his coffee getting colder by the minute, Jonathan tried to find a position in which his back wouldn’t kill him in the morning, and found himself lost in the words written in the colourful pamphlets.


	3. False start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh, someone's lost their faith in the goodness of humanity and is being suspicious of Jonathan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, wonderful people. It's me and a new chapter to entertain you at this time of the 24 hours (it's 2:22 a.m. for me currently, and I've got lessons to give in the morning. I regret nothing.) Please, enjoy!

It was so peaceful. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so at ease, relaxed like she had no cares in the whole wide world. Come to think of it...she couldn’t quite remember her own name.

Oh God! What was her name? Where was she? What happened to her? 

There was something else bothering her, nagging at the back of her mind, pinching her mentally, making her worry all the more. There was something big, someone important, someone...

Tony! Where was her brother? 

And why did it sound like she was in a shower? The sound suspiciously like water running was echoing through her ears, making her irritable and confused with each passing minute. Why would anyone try and take shower in her head? Couldn’t they make the sound quieter? 

And then she heard it. A deep baritone speaking somewhere to her right. Probably right, it was hard to tell these days. And it was male, and it was so beautiful-sounding, and it filled her soul with such warmth and hope, and she couldn’t stop the words that fell from her lips that moment.

“Daddy, is that you?”

A sudden gasp and the grating of the chair on the tiled floor were enough to shift her attention and make her aware enough to open her eyes at the moment. She felt someone taking her hand. It was a big, warm hand, and it was pleasantly callous, just like her father’s.

“Is it you, daddy? Where’s mum?” she asked pitifully, her voice high and weak.

The voice that answered her, however, sounded diametrically differently now that the veil of dreams has dissipated a little, and was far from her father’s familiar lilt. The voice sounded anxious and apologetic, if anything.

“Rose, uhm, hello, you are alright, you’re in a hospital but it’s nothing life-threatening, and Tony is here, too, and he’s okay, and he’s asleep, and, erm, I’m Jonathan. I’m the one who hit you with my car.” Honestly, there was so much information given out to her in a span of a minute, and it seemed that he wasn’t her dad, and if he wasn’t her dad...

She felt herself deflating like a balloon. So, it was real. The accident was real, and her parents were gone, and the only person whom she held dear was her sweet little Tony, and she had so much difficulty thinking clearly, and her head didn’t quite feel right.

And her name was Rose, obviously. Sounded about right.

As if the man could sense her confusion, he continued in a prominent Northern accent.

“You’ve got a concussion and a broken leg and a couple of cracked ribs, but the doctor said you’ll get a full recovery, what with being a young and healthy girl like yourself. Tony hasn’t got a single scratch on him, though he was worried sick. He’s here, on the sofa. I’m so sorry, Rose, it was slippery on the roads, and I couldn’t swivel the car when someone decided to drive the opposite lane.”

Oh. So, there was an accident. This time, however, she got a starring role in the whole spectacle. 

Marvellous.

And she all but called this nice man her father, embarrassing herself, making herself look childish and weak. A nice bruise to her pride, too, in addition to cracked ribs, concussion and a broken leg. A bruise to her ego...

And to her pay check. Christ, how will she work now?! Rose tried to gather information about her body’s condition, and soon realised that her left leg was encompassed in a sturdy cast up to the middle of her thigh, and her ribs felt funny on the left, like she couldn’t take a deep refreshing breath, and Rose was slightly terrified that she couldn’t quite remember her second job.

Her pay check!

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She started weeping, ugly and loudly, in her cupped hands, and Rose reckoned there was nothing that could console her now (apart from Tony being safe and sound, that is, she remembered hastily).

The hospital room was quiet save for Rose’s uneven breathing and hiccupping that started to grate on her ribs, and the man seemed to be standing insecure and at a loss of what to do, shuffling his feet, when the doctor arrived. 

The Jonathan bloke made no indication of leaving the room, and seemed to be terrified of something for some reason then. Still, he nodded to doctor Williams, and stood by the wall.

“Hello there, Miss Tyler. How are you feeling? Did your fiancé update you on your condition? You haven’t been all that lucky, but you’ll come to a full recovery if you follow the doctor’s instructions. Now, please, follow the finger with your eyes. Can you tell me your middle name, miss Tyler?”

Rose was getting aggravated by the light and by the fact that she couldn’t for the love of her life remember her middle name at the moment. She told Doctor Williams so, to his credit, he didn’t seem surprised that much. He informed her that she might feel muzzy because of the pain meds, and that she was not to do anything strenuous until doctor Williams says so, the nurses will assist her with everything she’ll need, and her fiancé will cover the peculiarities of her concussion now because he had to start morning check-up on his other patients.

Still, Rose was perplexed. Finally, after doctor Williams stopped talking and seemed satisfied with her condition at the moment, she dared to  ask .

“Why do you keep saying fiancé? I haven’t got a fiancé. I haven’t got a boyfriend, let alone a fiancé,” she added unnecessarily. The Jonathan bloke choked on air and looked ridiculously uncomfortable.

Dr Williams clucked his tongue with disappointment and scribbled something in her chart with his left hand. Huh. Left hand, left leg. He was lucky, he could use his left leg, she couldn’t. “It seems temporary amnesia is a little more serious than we suspected. Happens from time to time. You are no football player, Miss Tyler, but the car must have bumped you nicely. Not to worry, though. You try to rest, miss Tyler. I’ll send the nurse in to help you with your morning routine. Have a nice day, get better!” And Dr Williams was out of the room.

Rose stared stupidly at the doorframe. Fiancé. Something wasn’t adding up. No way in hell she could forget something about her life as big as this.

She heard someone clear their throat. Jonathan! Christ, her attention span was less than a five-year-old's! Why did he look so scared, like she was going to bite his head off?

Huh. Tony really liked the books about nature and all sorts of bugs, and she remembered distinctly crossing out the details about female mantises biting male mantises’ heads off after the mating ritual. Too much information for young Tony, and it’s not like Rose was ready to describe the whole “dancing” business (a term her and Shareen used to say “sex” in front of Tony).

Tony!

There he was, curled up on the sofa under a light blue hospital blanket. Dried tears adorned his chubby cheeks, and his breathing was a little uneven, like it happens after a long crying session. Poor boy, he must have been so scared of the accident and her being wheeled away in a surgery room. 

Rose was so lost in thoughts she didn’t notice Jonathan moving close to her bed.

“Rose, I have to apologise. I may have lied to the nurses about us being engaged. They wouldn’t let me know what your condition was otherwise, and they couldn’t call through to Mickey. I’m to blame in this accident, too, and I’ll try to make it up to you – but it was necessary to let them believe we are to get married in 5 months. A summer wedding, huh? Fantastic.”

Rose could tell he was trying to get her to smile, but she wasn’t ready to give a smile just yet. She was ought to understand what he was up to. No one was good like that. He was after something.

A-ha! He wanted her not to press any charges against him! That must be it.

Jonathan continued, oblivious to Rose’s inner turmoil. 

“I promise I’ll make sure we find the one who started the chain of the accident, and you’ll be able to press charges. I know it’s a lame consolation, still, you’re due to a compensation from the bastard. By the way, it’s still early in the morning, we could call your workplace and tell them about what’s happened to you.” He started fidgeting under her cold stare, but she wouldn’t stop her assessment of him.

Why was he here? What did he want from her and Tony? Why was this ruggedly-looking Jonathan spending the night by her side, taking care of her brother and her? Guilt? Selfish desire to make her drop the charges? 

Rose tried to sit up, and Jonathan helped her eagerly. God, what was the matter with him? Didn’t he have a wife to come home to?

She gathered her scattered thoughts and turbulent emotions and asked him, as even as she could, looking straight into his steely-blue eyes.

“What do you want from me?”


	4. Second first time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone's ears are insulted a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me and a new chapter before I have to go and see a doctor (not the Doctor-Doctor, unfortunately, but the one in a real-life hospital).  
> Thank you for reading and please, feel free to drop a review if you feel like it.  
> Cheers!

Jonathan inhaled sharply at the words delivered with such coldness from the devastated-looking blonde on a hospital bed. 

“Excuse me?” he found himself asking. 

“I said, what do you want from me?” Rose repeated sharply, and he marvelled at the abrupt change in her demeanour. Gone was the broken-looking girl crying for her father, a stone-faced young woman was staring at him as if she was trying to intimidate him, which seemed ridiculous, really, as she was much smaller and in no shape to stand on her own, let alone fight him. 

He knew he was too late to stop the defence mechanisms that switched on every time someone acted aggressively towards him. 

“What could I possibly get from you?” 

“Well, you could be buttering me up so I wouldn’t press any charges!” 

“Yeah, good luck with that, like I was the one not paying attention to her surroundings!” 

Shit. What a way to start a polite conversation with someone who’s been through a traumatic experience. 

Rose made a movement to cross her hands over her chest, seemingly in a defensive position, when she flinched violently and moaned, pressing her face into a pillow. 

Shit! The painkillers were wearing off, and the appointed nurse was yet to arrive. 

Jonathan came to a conclusion that he needed to be a better man and to bury the fight before it bloomed into something ugly. God knew Rose didn’t need any additional stress to her fragile condition. 

“Look, Rose,” he started in a clipped tone, willing himself to smooth the edges in his own behaviour. “I wasn’t the one who started the accident, and I am just a victim of the ordeal as you are.” She was about to interrupt him indignantly when he continued with a little more force. “I’m not diminishing the state of your health, it’s bloody obvious you lived through a lot of damage, but make no mistake – I wasn’t the initiator of the crash.” He knew his words resonated brutally, and winced mentally. He should take into consideration the results of her condition, her concussion with its mood swings and the side-effects of pain medication which was now wearing dangerously thin, if he were to take a sheen of perspiration on her brow and not-so-slight paleness of her skin. 

Calm. Calm and patient. 

Jonathan cringed inwardly as he recollected Rose’s first outing from the medication induced metaphorical woods. “Daddy”, indeed. He didn’t have kids, but that was enough to shatter his heart, was that how real dads felt when their kids were hurt and scared? 

Not like he was seeing the girl as a kid. He felt for her, truly, but she proved to be ferocious and bold enough to confront a stranger in her addled state. 

Good for Rose. 

And good for Jonathan. 

Not that it mattered. Not at all. 

Rose seemed to cool off a bit, and Tony chose that particular moment to wake up and yell “Rosie! You’re alive!” cheerfully, hugging his sister and kissing her cheek. Jon found that endearing. Not many boys of Tony’s age would express their feelings that freely, and, much to Jon’s surprise, he wasn’t at all annoyed by this display of affection. 

Happy endings... 

The nurse chose that moment to arrive in the room, asking both Jon and Tony to leave so as to give Miss Tyler some of much needed privacy. At first, Tony was reluctant to leave, but the promise of hot chocolate with marshmallows and a toast for breakfast lured him out of the room into canteen. Jonathan was astonished once again by how natural the boy’s grip on his hands seemed, and tried to ward off any thoughts about calling Donna for the update. 

Hot chocolate and tea first. Donna, shouting, name calling – later. 

*** 

“No, she’s fine. No, she’s not irreparably damaged. No, she hasn’t got anyone to help her, and the doctor told Rose she’ll need to stay in hospital through Christmas and New Year’s, most likely. She has...” 

He was hastily interrupted by his sister’s irritated voice. 

“You truly are a spaceman! You hit a poor woman with your barely working pretence of a car. I’ve told you a thousand times before – buy yourself a new car!” 

“The Tardis is not...” 

“And to think of that – the unlucky woman had to endure waking up in your company! Spit it out – have you already quarrelled with her?” 

The awkward silence that followed Donna’s words was enough to assure her of his guiltiness. 

“Oh my God! You did! I’m so gonna kill you!” 

Jonathan considered hanging up but though better of it. Donna was relentless when she had her mind set on something: she’ll probably call through one of the nurses’ phone in the hospital just to yell at him again. 

“Where are you?” 

“Huh?” 

“I’m asking you where you are. What hospital was she admitted in?” 

“Saint Lola’s”, Jonathan muttered, not sure where the conversation was going to. 

It seemed that Donna has opened her computer, and he wasn’t sure of that until he heard the distinct sound of keys clicking through the phone. “It’s twenty minutes from me”, she stated. “Now, come and get Rose on the phone.” 

“Excuse me?” Right at this moment, he was utterly and desperately lost in his sister’s logic. 

“Go and get her on the phone, Dumbo! I’m not gonna discuss this with you. Rose, phone, now.” 

Jonathan sighed like a man who had come to terms with the fact that he was a dead man at the dawn of his execution’s day and rubbed his hands over the stub on his face. He suspected that he was looking like a homeless man in the churchyard on the day of Christmas service – wearing his Sunday best yet presenting a shabby, rugged view with all the wrinkles in his grey shirt and black jeans, and smallish pools of blood and molten dirt from the road where he and Rose met for the first time (his dark grey jumper didn’t survive the journey at all and ended up in a dustbin by the entrance of the hospital). 

He gruntled an affirmative and hit the “finish call” button aggressively. Jonathan proceeded then to the ward where Rose was, bearing three cups of tea from the canteen in a cardboard holder, Tony following him with a paper bag of sandwiches and a yoghurt for Rose. “Strawberry, her favourite!” the boy informed him sagely. There was no hot chocolate on the menu, and the toast looked so disgusting that both Jon and Tony scrunched their noses in mild disapproval and opted for turkey sandwiches. The tea will have to do for now. 

Maybe he could go out and buy something that Rose really likes. He might even ask Tony about his sister’s favourite food. Was she a fancy-food girl? A salad-diet girl? A pizza girl? Well, she didn’t look it – she was a little scrawny and her jeans were sitting loosely on her legs (he noticed it back when they were in the street) - and he could swear it wasn’t how the jeans were designed, too. 

Did she like chips? 

If Rose liked chips, Jonathan mused, he already liked Rose. He only needed to ask Tony now... 

Unfortunately, there was no time to do just that as they came closer to Rose’s room. 

When they entered, they found Rose in a sitting position (propped by a bunch of pillows to help her get comfortable), looking refreshed but still exhausted and bone-tired, but Jon suspected that a car accident and the pain meds would do that to a person. 

She smiled tenderly at Tony, accepting the canteen “gifts” from his chubby hands, and nodded “thanks” to Jonathan. He smiled thinly in return in anticipation of what he was about to do. 

“Erm. My sister wants to speak with you.” He looked into her weary brown eyes and turned his glance away immediately after that. 

Rose’s shoulders tensed perceptibly. “Why would she want to do that?” 

Jonathan replied patiently, aware of her distrust with everything concerning him after his outburst this morning. “I don’t know, she wanted to come and then she asked for you on the phone. She’ll get what she wants eventually, better to do this the fast way.” 

“If she’s about to lecture me on behalf of you being the victim of the hit...” 

“I promise, she’s not.” He felt his cheeks and ears redden noticeably, and he added hurriedly, “I think she actually wants to help you and to tell my ears off. She’s fiery, my sister, and she always, and I mean it, always gets what she wants.” 

He was surprised by a subdued chuckle that followed his words. “You so are afraid of her!” 

Jonathan bristled. “Oi! I do no such thing!” 

“You are, though” Rose smiled and did a funny thing with her tongue that rendered Jon quite speechless. Huh. There was something warm and inviting about this girl, about the way she wasn’t shying away from his blunt manners (or the pure lack of them, as Donna would add) and general rudeness of his behaviour. 

And she had a captivating smile. Just as Jon predicted. And... 

And there was also the fact that Rose was most definitely checking him out. Him! 

Jonathan felt the tell-tale burning of his ears (“Space ears!” supplied Donna’s voice in his brain) as he was dialling his sister’s number for the second time that day and couldn’t quite meet the blonde’s mischievous eyes when he handed the phone to her. 


	5. Sibling love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Donna!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter. Baby steps, but I really wish to finish this one up before the Catholic Christmas (my family and I celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January). Hope you like it. Reviews are very much appreciated and make me a very happy person.  
> Enjoy!

To say that Rose was bewildered at Jonathan’s sister’s – Donna’s – question about her bra size and clothes and hygienic products preferences was to say nothing at all. The woman was loud and bossy, and usually Rose disliked such people when they entered Henrik’s or the café where she worked in, yet Donna made none of those feelings appear even through a simple phone call. 

Rose stuttered about not having money on herself (not having any spare money at all, truth be told, and the mere thought about calling the shop manager and the owner of said café made her eyes burn with unshed tears, and she really, really didn’t want to fall apart in front of the audience). Donna would have none of it – her idiot of a brother was the one who started the whole business (he really wasn’t, mused Rose), and it was only natural that Rose should be compensated for all the trouble she went through. 

The Jonathan bloke was rather rude, yet helpful, and her suspicions that he wanted something from her were assuaged but not disappeared entirely. 

He was quite a looker, though. Not in a Tom Hiddleston or Colin Firth kind of way, of course, more like “force of nature” and “pure manliness” kind of way. God, she was randy. Rose hadn’t had any time to do something with her dating life, and she was sure her romancing skills were dusty after so much time of disuse. They fell out with Mickey after her parents’ death, and though the boy tried religiously to get them back together, Rose just didn’t have it in herself to pretend that their cooling relationships were something that could be mended. 

Truth be told, she didn’t have strength for anything but work and doting on Tony. God bless Mickey, he never left her behind, even if he was seeing another girl now, he was still around in any kind of emergencies and was _just there_ when the world would get too much for her to take in, and she’d be forever grateful for that. 

So, romance and sex? She hadn’t had any, and Rose didn’t think she was capable of feeling attraction until today. 

Huh. Must be the meds messing around with her mind. It’ll pass. 

Jonathan still was a looker. Baby blue eyes, tall, burly body, short-cropped hair, ears kind of sticking out (but that added to his character, if anything), and he had big, handsome hands. Rose would always notice men’s hands when she was interacting with any closely, and she felt drawn to the hands that promised protection. She suspected that it was something primal that made her seek safety, and she didn’t know what would be better – to indulge those thoughts and to let herself dream of being stripped off of any worries and problems, or to suck it up and be an actual grown-up and to toughen up; in the end, there was no one but her and Tony, and she’d have to make it through to provide a comfortable life for her brother. Still, she wished to loll in the sense of being loved and sheltered sometimes, and Rose assumed that her being in the middle of her menstrual cycle was making her wish for a decent partner. 

And Jonathan looked like a decent partner. Well, apart from him being rude and having temper flares sometimes. 

Well, nobody’s perfect. 

God, she really shouldn’t have watched that Hallmark Christmas movie with Shareen las week. It made her wish for silly, impossible things. He probably had a wife back home, if not children – he looked at least 16 years older than her, maybe add a couple of years, too. She supposed it was fair to say that Rose had always a thing for older men (and wasn’t that what made her mother lose sleep at nights when Rose all but disappeared on dates with shady characters older than her), and now Jonathan fell into three points of her “perfect bloke” list: rough appearance, older, handsome hands. 

Damn. She should ask the doctor to check if the concussion hadn’t messed with her head in more serious ways than they suspected. 

*** 

The red-headed woman in a purple flowing shirt and nicely fitted jeans appeared in Rose’s room three hours after the phone call, bringing the air of purposefulness on her way in. Donna shoved the bags into Jonathan’s hands and hugged him tightly, then, moments later, she slapped him hard down his head. “You ever hide anything like that from me again – I'm gonna kill you! Stupid Martian!” 

After that Donna turned towards Rose and Tony, who was huddled next to his sister’s hospital bed, and her eyes gentled noticeably. She took the bags back from shocked Jonathan and smiled tenderly at Tony and put out her hand to the boy. Tony considered not taking the stranger’s hand, but Rose nudged him carefully with her hand, and the boy shook hands with the beautiful red-head. Donna picked out a packet of mini marshmallows and handed it out to Tony, whose eyes glimmered happily at the prospect of his favourite treat. Rose’s heart melted a little – not many people were this kind to them these months, and Donna’s thoughtfulness made her soul soar a little at this small display of goodness. 

Then Rose felt Donna’s eyes upon her. 

Jonathan’s sister proffered Rose her hand. Rose hastily shook it, smiling shyly. 

“Ah, but you never told me Rose was this beautiful! What, you hit her in your desperate attempt at getting to know her?” Donna leaned in, then, and spoke into Rose’s ear in a stage whisper “His kind of a lost cause, he is. 38 and no prospect of a nice girl by his side. You have to forgive him for being so daft”. 

An irritated “Oi!” erupted from the wall where Jon was standing. Donna smiled mischievously at Rose and escorted both Jonathan and Tony out of the room into the waiting area so “them girls could talk.” 

The bags that Donna brought with her were full of every necessity Rose didn’t even think of. Two pairs of sweatpants, an assortment of T-shirts and a couple of long-sleeved jumpers with zippers, a new package of functional underwear and sports bras, toothbrush, hairbrush and cute scrunchies, toothpaste, deodorant and hand cream, and dozens of things Rose might need during her stay in hospital. There was something for Tony, too, although Donna wasn’t sure if the boy would stay at the hospital with his sister or if he would come back home (it was hard to believe that none of the Tylers’ relatives were out of question – but stranger things have happened under Heaven, really). 

Shocked at the sheer amount of clothes and accessories and not knowing how to repay this marvellous woman, Rose found herself sobbing again. She wasn’t sure if she should blame the drugs, the unyielding exhaustion or the act of kindness by this fiery-tempered woman, but one thing was clear – Rose was crying loudly, chest heaving unevenly because it hurt terribly, and she was so tired, really, and why weren’t things getting any better, she was only 19, for God’s sake, and she couldn’t continue her life the way it was any longer: the managers needed her to work more or they’d cut down her salary, the regulars at the café tended not to leave tip, even at Christmas time, and the teachers at Tony’s school were unhappy because he disappeared into himself after their parents’ death, and Rose wasn’t always there to help him with homework and family projects, and the money was tough and little, and now she was nearly incapacitated...she knew it wasn’t all that bad, people had lived through worse; still, Rose felt confused, dizzy and weary, and it’s been a while since anyone showed any kindness to her – and this good-hearted woman, sharp-mouthed Donna, was there, hugging her and rocking Rose in soothing motion. 

Like a big sister Rose never had but wished to have after her and Tony were left alone. Providing comfort Rose desperately craved after being the comforting one for too long. 

She didn’t notice how she started feeling sleepy and reclined on the pillows under Donna’s gentle guidance. Rose still hiccupped slightly, and her nose felt stuffy, nevertheless, she succumbed into a dreamless sleep, feeling warmth in her soul for the first time in many months. 


	6. You didn't tell!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donna sees right through Jonathan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, people who are still reading this. Thank you for doing that. I honestly hope this doesn't dissapoint you.  
> Reviews are very much appreciated. Please, enjoy!

“You didn’t tell me she was barely out of her teens! How did you let this happen? Why didn’t you call me sooner? She’s wrecked, she is, and you managed to make things worse by your sunny disposition!”

Jonathan loved his sister, he truly did, but not when she was grating on his nerves in a situation that was stressful enough without her meddling.

He tampered down the irate remarks that were ready to fall from his lips and settled for a deep inhalation and exhalation instead. 

“The poor girl has cried herself to sleep, and you didn’t call me yesterday, and there wasn’t anyone nicer than you this morning to greet her. What were you thinking?”

That did him in. He exploded.

“I didn’t, alright? What was I supposed to do, Donna? I see a kid with another kid in her care, and their parents are dead, and Rose was crying the entire time she was conscious...” Jonathan stopped his tirade abruptly when he saw the expression on his sister’s face.

_ The _ expression. The one that told him clearly that Donna was up to no good.

“Oh, you. You naughty old man, you fancy her!”

He spluttered in reply.

“What? Are you out of your mind, Donna? You said it yourself – she’s just a kid!”

She gave him a sly smile and continued her careful attack.

“Is she a kid, though? Nineteen, yes, but a kid? Nah, I don’t reckon. The girl’s stretching herself thin working two jobs and she’s taking great care of the boy. She’s an old soul, Jon, much like you are. I’m not saying you fancying her is a bad thing, though.” This time, Donna’s voice turned gentle and there was no hint of judgement. There was no judgement before that, too, but Jonathan still felt guilty for ruining Rose and Tony’s Christmas and for his outburst when she questioned his motives. Rose was right, actually. Kindness wasn’t a frequent thing in the modern world, but Jon and Donna’s late mother taught them religiously to be kind-hearted and willing to help, so it only felt natural for him and Donna to host a "Rescue the Tyler's Christmas party".

Their mother wasn’t exactly the person who owned the happiest destiny, because their father disappeared not long after Jonathan’s birth. There she was, their mother, with a runaway husband, a part-time job and two kids of 4 and 2 years respectively. 

Still, she was the brightest and the kindest woman he had ever known. Jonathan guessed that he inherited some of that kindness, and honestly, Rose (at least what he had learned about her during their hours of knowing each other) reminded him of his mother’s gentleness. Small, yet brave; kind, yet ready to protect her own; young, yet wise. 

And she was lovely, too, even under the medication effects. Even angry and delusional, she was attractive. Usually, Jonathan gave wide berth to women who were acting needy, and Rose definitely sounded needy before waking up and realising where she was, yet it made him angry for all the wrong reasons.

He didn’t see her as a daughter figure, God damn it! And he wished dearly that she wouldn’t see him as a father figure, too. 

Otherwise fancying her might get awkward. And creepy.

His musings were interrupted by Donna, who was looking at him with a knowing smirk and who was tapping her foot impatiently. 

Shit. He got caught. Donna could always read him like an open book, and it seemed that her eyes had x-ray installed into them so she could see his thoughts and actions even before he himself could analyse them. Now, she’d be worse than a hound dog that caught a whiff of a scared rabbit on its hunt.

She was the hunting dog, he was the rabbit, and the whiff was the aforementioned attraction, that is.

“Oh my God! You do! And you don’t even deny it!” The smile that adorned her face was enough to power the fairy lights that the nurses were putting on the tree by the reception desk.

Jonathan avoided Donna’s stare by looking at his shoes. This was complicated enough without Donna’s comments, yet she wasn’t about to give this topic up, of that he was sure. 

Suddenly, a phone appeared in front of his eyes. He looked up, confused, and his sister clicked her tongue irritably. 

“You are going to call and tell Rose’s manager what happened to her. Now, you’ll introduce yourself as her fiancé; I’m genuinely surprised at your assertiveness, by the way, but some women fall for that, anyway; and you tell them that they won’t give your dear Rose any hell. Am I clear?”

“Why me?!”

“Who else, Dumbo? She’s your bride-to-be, remember? Should we let Tony call in and tell his sister is seriously injured? Or should we let poor Rose go through the God-awful money and working contracts talk now? Or, I don’t know, maybe I should call and tell them I’m her closest friend...they will listen to you, of course, especially if you do that “menacing and grumpy” thing that you do every time you don’t like my men!”

Jonathan snorted. “Yeah, as if you’ve ever chosen anyone decent, right?”

Donna hit him with her free hand. Hard. He yelped. “Oi! Where are your manners? At least I’m trying and not hiding in the garage tinkering with a stupid car!”

“The Tardis is not stupid!” fumed Jon. Why did Donna insult his beautiful car all the time?

“Shut up and call that number! Then call the café, here’s the number of the owner, too. Say you’ll sue them if they fire her now.”

Jonathan stood  baffled for a few moments, then resigned and took the proffered phone out of Donna’s carefully manicured hands. 

Adventures...

***

After the phone calls were made, Donna pushed a list into Jonathan’s hands and instructed him to buy some Christmas treats for the dinner at the hospital that evening. A small celebration was planned to take place by the hospital stuff to cheer the patients up, especially the young ones who were stuck there on Christmas night. Donna wasn’t able to call through to Mickey, so, unless Rose let the Nobles take Tony with them to stay the night (Jon was sure that she wouldn’t), Tony would have to stay in the hospital until Rose was discharged. A week for an eight-year-old on a sofa in the hospital? He prayed that the elusive Mr. Mickey would answer his bloody phone soon and take the boy to his place to avoid additional stress to Tony.

At the moment, though, Tony was enjoying himself immensely by helping the nurses decorate the reception, and he planned on drawing a “Get better soon!” card for Rose after he finished with Christmas preparations.

Jonathan went into Rose’s room to check on her, Donna following him close on his heels. The male nurse in a Santa hat was checking her vitals and added a dose of medicine into the IV bag that was hooked onto Rose’s left hand. The nurse smiled and assured that Rose was, indeed, fine, just catching onto restorative sleep, and she’ll probably be up and peckish by the time the celebrations in the hospital would start. Jonathan nodded awkwardly, remembering that he was supposed to play the “worried fiancé” role. Not that he needed to act the emotions out; he was pretty much worried about Rose’s crying and the pain levels she experienced. 

Donna squeezed his shoulder supportively. He smiled tightly and glanced over the girl’s sleeping form again, muttered something about stupid holiday movies his sister made him and grandad watch, and went on his merry way to do Christmas shopping.

Fantastic.


	7. Realisations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small party. A look into our characters' thoughts. A gentle realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to everyone who is still here, reading this story. Thank you for sticking with me. I hope you are not bored with the plot and my view into Rose and Jonathan's thoughts. Here's the chapter.

If anyone told Rose that she’d spend that Christmas in a hospital hall, listening to younger patients’ carols, with two kind strangers by her side and with little Tony who’d be unwilling to let go of her hand, Rose would have rendered them mental and went on with her usual working routine. 

Yet there she was. Listening to children sing “Mary, did you know?” in quiet and awe-inspiring voices, under the merry winkling of the blue-white-silver fairy lights in the hospital hall, Tony near her on the sofa, and a mysterious not-so-stranger anymore by her side.

What a night...

The atmosphere was lovely despite them all being in a hospital hall. All the nurses and doctors who were working the night shift were wearing non-white scrubs, something pastel and not so pastel-coloured, and some of the nurses had antlers and Christmas-related ornaments in their hair. The air was filled with the delicious smell of ginger biscuits, lemonade, hot chocolate and tangerines; the sounds of cheerful singing of the children penetrated the room as well as the gentle ringing of the bell one of the youngest patients was swinging happily in her hands, much to her  mother’s tired exasperation. It was clear that the mother was exhausted but would indulge whatever would make her two-year-old, who had been sick with pneumonia, smile and act cheerful and properly childish again. Rose shuddered inwardly just thinking about what said mother went through. She’d be devastated if something like that happened to Tony, and she’d go mad with worry trying to mix working, taking care of Tony and taking care of herself, also. Rose knew it was vital to see to her needs, too, and God knew there were days she wanted to crawl into bed, curl into a miserable ball and stop being the grown-up she was supposed to be. Some days it was nearly impossible to drag herself out of her room, make herself presentable and cheerful for the sake of her younger brother; to struggle through the day in the shop and snobby buyers who thought Rose was nothing more but dirt on their shoes, to listen to the manager’s lectures. The café wasn’t entirely different story, too. The owner wasn’t happy with her working hours because she had to be with Tony in the evening, and, as she mentioned earlier, tipping was tight. No such thing as the Christmas spirit in the higher society, it seemed.

Rose was pulled out of her reverie by Donna asking her if she wanted something to drink.

Speaking about the Christmas spirit.

The Nobles were something else entirely. Rose still couldn’t decide what to do with their altruism and genuine kindness towards her and Tony. People were never that kind! People were never that good without some secret agenda. Why were they helping? Rose wracked her brain mulling over the possibilities, but there just didn’t seem to be any. She felt slightly better now, although she couldn’t stand without the world around her doing cartwheels, and her leg was throbbing even under the effect of the meds, and she could swear she’d never want to eat anything again because of the nausea. But Tony was here, safe and sound and ridiculously happy, and he didn’t mind Rose’s being in a wheelchair one bit, and Tony was speaking with Jonathan animatedly from time to time.

Surprisingly, Jonathan was listening. Not many people bothered with what Tony was telling them, and her brother was quite shy and unsure of himself, but he had such trust in anyone who stopped to pay attention to him, God bless him. Rose was forever grateful that Tony wasn’t bullied at school; sure, he wasn’t popular, but no one ever bothered him because of his sweet disposition.

Rose Tyler would fight until her last breath to save that gentle character of Tony’s. She’d die for Tony, too, although living for him was proving to be exhausting and nearly impossible. Rose couldn’t blame the relatives that turned their backs on the Tylers once the tragedy struck, truth be told. They were ready to help her with finding the job and accommodation, only if she were to send Tony into the children’s home – because the alternative would be taking two kids under their wings, and no one had the money for that on the Estates (the payment from the government was scarce, to say the least). 

Still, Rose persisted, and she though herself doing fine until yesterday’s accident. Honestly, though, she felt terribly weepy and would feel her eyes fill with salty water every now and then at the smallest thing. She wanted to be loved. To be taken care of. To feel secure and safe, and not to be praying while on the bus that was running late, thinking if she’d be finally be fired by the  ever-unhappy manager.

The people around her hadn't helped much, too, but mostly it was about their attitude. It was as if they took joy in making her scared of losing the job, humiliated by the comments they made about her appearance, the way the boys would turn up their noses and leave as soon as they heard that she was responsible for her brother. Life sucked for Rose Tyler.

But it would suck no more. Christmas miracles, remember?

***

Jonathan spent the marvellous evening (could you hear the sarcasm in his words, though?) doing Christmas shopping for the small celebration at the hospital. It wouldn’t last long, the stuff didn’t want to overtire their charges, but the people, both adults and children, needed some fun and relaxation. Hospitals could be oppressing. So, a little Christmas party wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Earlier Donna was trying Mickey’s phone number, again, but it was still disconnected from the network. His older sister suggested Tony going to stay with them, though it was a long shot Rose would let Tony out of her sight, it was worth a try. Rose refused politely, but insistently, so it was decided that Tony would stay with her. After all, according to the papers, she was the only guardian of the boy, so it was only natural for the hospital stuff to let him stay with Rose.

Thank God for Christmas holidays at school. At least there was no homework. Should Rose need to stay in the hospital after the New Year, too, Jon was sure that Mr Mickey would deign to turn on his bloody phone. A nice friend Rose had, Jonathan thought sourly, if he left her alone and didn’t bother to check his stupid phone. At least it was clear that Mickey wasn’t Rose’s boyfriend – no normal boyfriend would leave their girl on Christmas holidays like Mickey did.

Still, they weren’t together, so...

Jonathan sighed with exasperation and rubbed his hands down the back of his neck. Why, why did he care if anyone was dating the Rose-Tyler-not-so-kid-but-not-really-adult-yet?

He knew, though. It was her personality that shone brightly and invitingly at him, enticing him to follow and give in to her young charms. To fancy her fully, without any obstacles, be it age difference, her hectic life, the fact that they needed to put Tony first in their relationships...

He groaned ruefully. Look at him, acting as a teenager who had a crush on a cool girl in their school! ‘Their relationships’, he thought. ‘As if’.

As if she’d want anyone like him. A gloomy history professor twice her age with a propensity to tinker with cars alone in the garage. 

***

Stranger things happened under Heaven and over Hell, though.

***

The celebration was slowly dwindling down, the younger artists were tired, and there was supposed to be a usual early morning for the staff and the patients, so the whole party cleaned out the hall nicely, exchanged some warm smiles and hugs (as well as small presents), and went to their respective rooms with a pleasant tiredness singing in their bodies. 

Jon was standing awkwardly while Donna was fussing over Rose to get freshened-up and comfortable, as well as tucking the exhausted Tony in on the sofa. The nurses provided a spare set of a pillow and a blanket, so the sleeping arrangements were quite to the boy’s liking.

Soon enough, the trio was saying good-bye with Donna promising to be back tomorrow after she and Jonathan would spend the night and late Christmas dinner at their grandfather’s place. Donna hugged Rose, who reciprocated the hug reluctantly, but soon relaxed and burrowed her head into Donna’s neck. 

Jon felt his heart clenching. Poor Rose. God only knew how much time she was refused such a simple comfort in her stressful life.

He also knew, however, that there was no way Donna would leave these two alone ever again. His sister was nice just like that, and her heart had enough space to feel for and console anyone who was in need.

Jonathan felt that Rose and Tony would become parts of his and Donna life in the near future. Not that he minded.

He fancied the girl. There. He said it. He, Jonathan Noble, fancied this wonderful young creature hugging his sister while trying to breathe carefully so as not to hurt her ribs further, and he longed to provide some comfort and kindness of his own to her, too. 

He wanted this to be more than just fancying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you seen the reference to Florence and the Machine album?   
> Reviews are very much appreciated.


	8. First dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A first date? Kind of...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 2.000 words in this chapter and over 13.000 in the whole fic! Wow! Never have I ever done anything quite like that. Thank you for reading and kudos!

That night Rose was lying in a hospital bed while listening to Tony’s quiet snoring. It was peaceful in the hospital hallways, the only sounds that interrupted the night were the ever-present footfalls of the stuff taking rounds checking if their patients needed something and the muted rustling of the papers on the reception desk. The lights were dimmed, also, and it painted the hall in a calming blueish colour that wasn’t annoying to look at. 

Rose resented the walls that were painted white with all her spite, as there was something not caring, empty, cold and almost inhuman in that bland white colour. She swore that if she were ever to walk down the aisle on her wedding day, she would never choose white dress for the ceremony. She loathed white.

The thoughts that were swirling around Rose’s mind were far from quiet, however. She was at a loss of what to make of the predicament she found herself in. Should she count her blessings and be grateful that she was alive and Tony was unharmed? Should she feel glad for meeting the gruff-looking yet gentle John and Donna with her bright personality and bossy manners?

Or should she cry and let herself wallow in self-pity, damning her dumb luck and hopeless existence?

It was Christmas, in the end, and maybe, just maybe, getting hit by a car and meeting the Nobles was a good omen.

There was always hope.

Did she dare to hope, though? Or was she in for another disappointment? Did she dare to prepare herself for another kick, or could she hope that the proverbial silver lining was there, finally?

For now, Rose was tired. Simply exhausted and a little bit light-headed, and thinking was becoming harder. Stupid meds. Stupid concussion. Stupid Christmas...but maybe not. Maybe Rose shouldn’t call this Christmas stupid; what if something good came out of the whole accident ordeal?

So far, so good. 

Rose was on the verge of falling asleep when she wondered, lazily, if Jonathan would come visit her in the morning. It would be Boxing day, and he was ought to spend it with his family. She had to stop being so clingy, but it felt so nice to have someone to stand up for her. Like Jonathan did when he called her workplaces and when Donna actually took some of her own time and money and spent it on buying the necessities for Rose and Tony. Donna whined and moaned when Rose insisted to pay her later; in the end, the red-haired woman smiled mysteriously and agreed to let Rose pay everything up once she was healthy and able to work again. 

Rose couldn’t quite comprehend the gentle mirth twinkling in Donna’s eyes. Still, it was hard to focus her attention on one thing for a prolonged period of time, so she just shrugged it off. 

Her thoughts strayed to Jonathan, again, and she sighed, irritated at her own behaviour. She was worse than a teen with a crush on a cool guy from the football team. Considering John, however, she could say that he’d fit in a basketball team nicely, too.

Rose groaned and rubbed her red-rimmed eyes. Damn her hormones! 

The blonde sighed in defeat. She’d sleep it off, and in the  morning, everything will be fine again. 

She still wondered if Jonathan would pop by to check on her right before she fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

***

Roses, lilies or irises? 

Pink, white or lilac?

Maybe gerberas? Orange gerberas, quite life-affirming. 

Or...or a bunch of baby blue forget-me-nots?

Jonathan looked around him helplessly in hopes to find a flower shop assistant. She would definitely know what to choose.

Deep down Jonathan guessed that Rose was far from posh flower arrangements, she looked like a type of a girl who would be intimidated by something pompous, considering how she reacted to Donna’s buying some things for her the day before. And roses would be too cliché because of her name, too, so the only options left were the gerberas, the forget-me-nots and the irises. Screw this. Irises it is. Not bright and ostentatious, yet noticeable in its gentleness and tenderness.

Damn. When did he turn into a poet?

Jonathan called for the assistant and asked for the irises. The brown-haired middle-aged woman smiled warmly and told him that he made a wonderful choice. She also advised not to put the irises in a plastic package, but to tie them with a pretty matching ribbon. He still felt a little inadequate and embarrassed, but thanked the lady and went out to his car. There, on the front seat, was a little package of snacks that would go easy on Rose’s stomach and also something for Tony (comic books and whatnot) to keep the boy entertained. 

All in all, Jonathan Noble was ready to woo Rose Tyler. Not quite a dinner-in-a-fancy-restaurant first date, but a nice quiet outing (in a hospital). 

He eyed the bookshop near the florist’s but shook his head remembering that the doctor advised Rose not to read and not to use gadgets for some time because of her concussion.

He returned his gaze to the shop again. It wasn’t advised for Rose to strain her eyes, but there was nothing said about him reading to Rose. A perfect pastime for a patient and quite a nice way for Jonathan to demonstrate his deep Northern burr (Donna shared with him secretly that the ladies loved it when he went all unhappy-Northerner on them), so, well, it was time to see if Rose Tyler would fall for his charms.

Mental.

He stepped into the bookshop and wondered for a minute what book to purchase. Jonathan looked around and noticed a Christmas stand with lots of Christmas-themed books, including children’s stories, some weepy romantic novels (he shuddered at the mere thought, if those were a little like the Hallmark movies Donna enjoyed watching from time to time when she wanted something mind-numbing, he’d die before he was caught reading those), but there also were some classical novels shying away from the buyers on the lower cases. A-ha! There they are – Charles Dickens’ stories! Including “A Christmas Carol”. 

With the air of a man on a mission, Jonathan walked out of the bookshop and drove to the hospital. He was driving slowly in fear to look too eager and stalkerish, but he just couldn’t help himself – he longed to see the girl. Besides, it was in his best interests to deliver a small gift from Donna – nothing big, really, as they were afraid to overwhelm Rose with any more purchases, for she was near crying sorrowful tears when she realised that people were spending money on her and Tony.

Jonathan knew that there was no way Donna would take any money back from Rose. The whole ruse with her paying the debt later was invented for the sake of not worrying her, so she’d calm down and won’t add stress to her condition.

He decided to wait 10 minutes on the parking lot before entering the hospital. He had the reputation to uphold, in the end.

***

Rose was delighted on the morning of the Boxing day when the doctor announced that she had a visitor. And said visitor was Jonathan! She tried her best to look presentable (considering sponge baths from the nurses and the inability to tame her hair with a straightener, but a pink comfy yet stylish T-shirt Donna had brough her paired nicely with her grey sweatpants, and a small bottle of generic perfume tucked in the bottom of the box with the goodies that Donna bought for her did wonders to her disposition.

Rose could swear Donna was a fortune-teller or a future-seer. Really, how did the woman know that Rose might need perfume?

Curious.

Tony was out playing with the kids in the same hospital wing where the patients who’d suffered from physical injuries were, and the nurses had warmed to the boy and promised Rose that they would keep an eye on him, although that was no problem. When he wasn’t worrying over Rose, he’d colour the pictures or draw something, or read the comic books that Jonathan and Donna brought him out loud to other kids. Rose felt her heart swell with a wave of affection. How lucky she was to have such a brother! He hadn’t complained about the whole situation once. Yes, he was a little put out at not receiving a Christmas present, yet he tried his best not to show his eagerness to go back to their flat and see what was hidden in the boxes Rose had prepared earlier, before the accident.

Nevertheless, he was his usual calm and sunny self, showering people with unadulterated kindness that only children were able to muster.

In went Jonathan, and Rose’s thoughts scattered around her brain in a crazy rush, running from corner to corner, yelling at each other “We are falling for this man! We are being defeated! We have never seen anyone that handsome before!” and some other words that she didn’t care to decipher.

For Jonathan was wearing a teal cotton jumper, dark jeans; his eyes shone brightly and invitingly, and in his hands he held a delicate arrangement of pale lilac irises.

Rose whined inwardly. She was a lost cause now.

***

“So how are you doing today, Rose?” He chose to use her name instead of using playful “Miss Tyler”. He called his students Mr and Miss when he was lecturing – as he said, he didn’t want Rose to see him as a father or professor figure.

The blonde smiled happily yet a little loopy, it was clear the pain meds were yet to be diminished in her system. He noticed that she cleaned up nicely, and looked charming without layers of foundation and mascara he saw on her face on the day of the blasted accident. Well, not so blasted, truth be told, as he got to meet the Tylers whom he held with warm regard in his soul. “You look nice”, Jonathan added quickly, “Pink really is your colour.”

Rose smiled sheepishly and slipped a lock of her hair behind the ear. “Um, I like this jumper better than the previous one. Brings out your eyes.” Then she clamped her hand over her lips, cheeks burning in  embarrassment .

Jonathan preened and smiled merrily. Rose looked away shyly and murmured a  quiet “sorry”. “Not at all,” replied Jon, “it’s nice to be told by pretty ladies that they find my eyes attractive. I mean, look at the ears!” and he pulled his ears in a joking manner. 

Rose giggled and turned her head back to look at him. A real charmer, that one. And he didn’t bring roses like boys from her dating experience did (not that she had a wide history of dating, really, considering her age and history). 

Jonathan asked politely how she was doing while he offered her flowers. She thanked him profusely, painfully blushing again, and answered that she felt much better but couldn’t eat and was sick and tired of nurses and doctors trying to persuade her to eat at least something.

That was when Jonathan procured a long red carton box with Christmas ornaments and handed it to Rose. She tried refusing it, and he rolled his eyes telling her to stop being stubborn, and asked her to open the box. Inside there were two rows of homemade ginger biscuits. A thermos with camomile tea went out of the paper bag next, and Jonathan assured her that everything was made by Donna this morning and was fresh and safe for eating.

This was the final straw. The kindness of these not-so-strangers overwhelmed her and filled her soul with unbidden warmth to the brim, and she burst into tears, clutching the aforementioned box in her shaky hands.

Jonathan was at a loss. Rose was crying, yet she seemed to be smiling and assuring him that she was fine, these were happy tears; yet they weren’t stopping at all, so he did the only thing that came to his mind at that moment.

He sat on her bed, mindful of her plastered leg, and carefully pulled her into embrace. 

They both froze immediately. Time seemed to stop. The world around them melted into the background.

Then Rose relaxed and gently put her hands around his torso.

All was well in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly hope you haven't drowned in fluff and that you forgive me if the characters were a little out of character.


	9. Small miracles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's past Christmas, but the good things don't seem to stop. A heart-to-heart conversation, a crush (or two) and a stupid movie to seal the deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My! Here we are at the very end of the story. Thank each and every one of you who read it, liked it and reviewed it. You are fantastic!  
> And I can't believe that I've finished in time before Christmas. And that it took 40 Word pages in a language that I've been learning and later on teaching since I was 12.  
> Anyway, Happy Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! I wish you all the best.  
> Enjoy!

The few moments that followed the hug were awkward, though not in an unpleasant way, and the silence was broken again as Jon prompted Rose to drink a cup of chamomile tea and try a biscuit. Rose, however immensely grateful, was wary to try and eat something because the nausea just wouldn’t abate. Rose knew she had to, and she didn’t want another medication in her system (the one that prevented nausea), but the nurses told her they wouldn’t hesitate to use it if she wouldn’t eat something that day. It was tough, and they were understanding really, but firm, and said that it was their job to help her, and it was her job to get over the lack of appetite. The nurses and the doctor made Rose promise she would give it a shot.

Jonathan seemed to see through her struggle and offered to start with tea. Rose smiled thinly. How funny. Her mom always used to say that tea was the  solution to everything.

This time, it seemed, it was a solution, too.

While Rose carefully nibbled on a biscuit, Jonathan cleared his throat and decided to vent a little about himself. They were to be wedded soon, and, though the staff were suspicious to as why didn’t her fiancé take Tony to his own apartment, Jon and Donna span a story about Rose’s empty flat and no one to watch over Tony, while Jon was living with a tenant that was a screechy unagreeable woman who would not tolerate kids under any circumstances, and Donna...was working double shifts, covering her ill colleague. And it’s not like Tony and Jon were very much acquainted; Rose was private about her personal affairs (not many people were like her these days, he thought, imagining Instagram and Facebook and other places where people shared way too much personal information, sometimes live!), so Tony and Jon were introduced to each other closely only a month ago – the boy still needed his sister to be near, as she was a constant companion in his bumpy young life.

Truth be told, Jonathan’s head was spinning with the amount of lies they needed to tell the people around them to make the story credible, and he still got a few unhappy glances from the elder female nurses, who were clucking about poor Tony staying at the hospital. Others seemed to be approving of Rose needing to see if Jonathan’s intentions were serious (they were, even in real life) and didn’t seem to bother Rose or Tony at all.

The noisy nurses’ clucking had diminished a little after teary-eyed Rose confessed that she just couldn’t let Tony be out of her sight, not after the accident, not on their first Christmas alone after their parents’ death.

(Jonathan’s heart burned with compassion to the last of the Tyler family, and it seemed hard for a few moments for him to breathe normally).

Then, after the nurses would leave to attend to other patients, Rose would roll her eyes and smile at him, happy to be rid of the nurses; yet she still smiled ruefully, like the waters of the tragedy were still washing at the landscape of her soul.

He knew that it never really went away. The pain, the longing. It dimmed, it dulled, but it was always present in the nooks and crannies of one’s soul – and that there was no permanent escape.

My, that was a depressive turn of thoughts.

“So, Rose Tyler” he rolled the consonant with his tongue lazily, almost seductively, as he enjoyed the sound of her name on his lips. “Tell me about yourself.” Jon smiled beatifically as he attempted to ease the atmosphere enough for Rose to relax and open up to him.

Otherwise, how was he going to pursue her?

Her cheeks pinked, and she contemplated her answer while chewing on a biscuit carefully. He used her name. Rose knew it was a hard thing to do, to call people by their names; believe it or not, calling people by their names without using Mr or Mrs or Miss was considered a chore by Rose who only called a couple of her mates by their names all the time. Like Shareen and Mickey, and Debbie from the store who was always ready to cover Rose’s mistakes and slip-ups to the managers.

Her mom used to taunt her for not using people’s names while talking in person or on the phone, but it was too much for Rose.

And this wonderful man pronounced her name like song lyric or a line from a sonnet.

And didn’t just Rose love it?

She did. Her heart did, too, and she was forever grateful to be off the heart monitor – otherwise, the whole trauma wing of the hospital would know of Rose’s blooming crush on Jonathan.

What a disaster!

But a pleasant one at that.

Rose nibbled on a cookie, then took a large sip of tea to wash it down. She took a deep breath and prepared to bore Jonathan to death by her unimpressive biography.

“Well, as you know, I’m Rose. I’m nineteen, although, honestly, I feel like I’m ninety-one. I dunno, it wasn’t always like that. I’ve got no A-levels, and I haven’t finished school. I went a bit wild after the accident, I could allow a meltdown at that moment, as we were picked by our relatives. But then...” she stuttered and started twisting her hair nervously. “Then they offered to take Tony to the orphanage and my aunt Gemma said that she could arrange a job for me in Swindon where they’d offer me both workplace and a place to live. I felt gutted. That moment, even though I was horribly hungover, I realised I couldn’t let them take Tony away. Believe me,” she sipped on her tea again to help drowning a lump that had taken residency in her throat, feeling the ever-present shame she was carrying in her soul since the day she started acting up after the tragedy. “Believe me, I think that I might’ve bitten too much to chew, but you know what it’s like in the children’s houses. Cold and detached. Tony isn’t like that, bless him. He’s like...like the better part of me, do you reckon? I know he’d be better with any other figure to look up to, but now we are all we’ve got to each other.”

Jonathan was listening attentively, she could say, and he didn’t seem to mind her ranting, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he knew about her pathetic imperfections and baggage and went on his merry way. Who needed a 19-year-old without any proper education but with a kid in tow in their lives?

Certainly not a fine, accomplished man like Jonathan. So, it seemed, she didn’t dare to hope for him to reciprocate her stupid feelings.

And then, surprisingly, Jonathan took her hand in his own. His hands were just like she imagined they would be, big, warm and dry, a little rough yet so gentle. She looked down at their entwined hands and thought that the image of her left hand engulfed in his palms might have been a picture poster to one of those silly movies about love at first sight. The only thing missing from the so-called poster was the title. Something cheesy. Something like... 

“Small Miracles”. “He was lonely and bitter, and she was tired of living in fear...will Christmas save their broken souls, or will Rose and Jonathan continue living their miserable lives...in cinemas or on demand starting 25 th of December!”

Christ. That was lame. Like really, really lame. It must have been the concussion talking.

She cringed inwardly. Pot calling the kettle black. Like Rose wasn’t the one having a crush on a man who hit her with a car on a Christmas Eve.

Loony, she is.

Rose was shaken out of her reverie by Jonathan’s mesmerising words.

“Rose Tyler” he said, almost reverently. “You are fantastic”.

***

As soon as he realised that Rose was too stunned by his words and afraid at overstepping the boundaries, he set out on adventure to biography of his own.

“Well, if you think that I’m impressive...then you’re right!” he joked easily, which earned a half-hearted slap from his willing audience. Her colour seemed to be better, and the flustered shade that coloured her cheeks in dainty pink looked agreeable with her bleached hair. There was no doubt that her hair colour came out of the bottle – and that she did her hair herself – because there was no way she was born with brown eyes, dark eyebrows and that shade of blonde – and also because the roots were dark and needed to be done soon.

Or not. It didn’t matter. Rose was cute as she was and he was hardly the one to complain about people’s appearance – not like he was Brendan Fraser or Orlando Bloom.

Rose giggled and took another biscuit from the shiny red box. A good sign, that.

“I’m Jonathan Noble, a college professor; I’m 38 and Donna is 39, and it makes me happy to no end to remind everyone that she is my older sister.” He smiled goofily and continued. “I have a History degree and an old blue car Donna says I love more than her. There’s a fireplace at my flat, a real one, and if I’m not under my car tinkering, I’d be sitting on a couch near the fire grading essays stolen from the Internet by my students. ”

Rose smiled again, and he felt warmth settle in his chest, for it was a lovely smile. Just as he predicted – lush lips that offered radiant smile to the world.

They both fell silent for a few minutes with Rose eating biscuit after biscuit and Jonathan rummaging through the bag Donna prepared for him. He heard Rose sigh softly, and looked up at her to see what was bothering her. She smiled wanly, almost sadly, and he perked up.

What was the matter?

“Do you...” she began, then stopped abruptly. She took a deep sigh, several painful wrinkles appeared on her smooth forehead at that moment to show that the deep inhalation with broken ribs was a big mistake. He started to worry to as what was causing her such distress. It wasn’t him, was it?

Christ! What if it was him? What if she didn’t wish him nearby? Sure, the hug was nice and all, but they both knew that her mind was a little loopy because of the meds, and he was hovering and sitting with her for far too long, and he technically was still a stranger, and she must’ve felt uncomfortable around him, and why did he listen to Donna, he should have sent his sister instead of him, and...

Rose continued, oblivious to his struggle. “Don’t you...don’t you have anywhere else to be...” she paused for a second and then added his name mutely, like it was hard for her to be speaking. 

Instantly, he felt like a bucket of icy water was poured over him. Like he suspected, his company wasn’t wanted. But why did it bother him so much? Why did his throat constrict, why was he blushing, why did his heart  feel so heavy?

And to think, he hoped that his fancying would be reciprocated...ridiculous.

***

Rose suspected that something she said came out the wrong way; because Jonathan stood from her hospital bed and stretched his hand to take the leather jacket that was draped over the bed railing.

Uh-oh.

She didn’t mean it like that!

“Wait, Jon” she tried meekly in hopes to stall him from leaving. “I don’t mean to say that I don’t enjoy your company. I do, really!” She paused and winced as she tried to sit up to take his hand into hers. Jonathan came closer to stop her from overexerting, but still wouldn’t meet her eyes. “It’s just that...I know that it’s silly, but I feel like I hold you from having a great time with your family or your girl.” There. Embarrassing, but honest. What was the worst thing that he could do? Reject her? Mock her feelings? Nah, he didn’t seem like the person to do so. And it’s not like she professed her undying love to him.

Stupid Rose! Stupid crush!

Rose didn’t expect Jonathan to smile toothily, mischievous sparks to dance in his eyes.

“Didn’t my sister tell you that I’m a hopeless bloke? No girl, me. Not hard to understand why, though.” He tugged at his ears and crossed his eyes to look at his nose. 

Rose’s lips widened in a warm smile. Now, he was fishing for a compliment. But she would indulge him on that one.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she drawled, pretending to be deep in thoughts. “I’d say they add to your character.” With that, she graced Jonathan with her best flirting smile (the tip of her tongue tucked around her teeth, the one all the boys from before fell for immediately without her trying further), and she knew he was a goner when his eyes widened comically at that smile of hers.

Right. Maybe crushing on him wasn’t stupid. Maybe he was crushing, too.

Rose settled on her decision of her crush not being stupid at all as soon as Jonathan sat back on her bed and pulled out a book (something classic, it seemed, because only the classics came in those boring midnight-blue and silver covers), and asked her if she knew any of Charles Dicken’s stories. 

She realised that she should stick to that man when he didn’t pick on her for not knowing a lot about Charles Dickens and his stories, but smiled kindly and told her to buckle up as he was taking her to an adventure...in Victorian England, no less!

Rose all but blossomed under the influence of his mood. She hadn’t felt that happy and calm for such a long time... She looked through the doorway and found Tony building Lego cars with the kids in the activities room (where the children and the adults came to have some fun, share their hobbies or just to create and to relax) and understood that Tony would be all right while she would be busy falling for Jon.

Ah. Small miracles, indeed.


End file.
